Regents Approve Partnership to Open New MLK Hospital

                         

COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES 

                                             Contact:  William T Fujioka, CEO, County of Los Angeles

        (213) 974-1101

Nov. 19, 2009                                                                                                                                       

                                   

Supervisors Praise UC Regents’ Vote for ‘New MLK Hospital’

 

LOS ANGELES – Thursday, November 19, 2009 – The L.A. County Board of Supervisors today praised members of the University of California Board of Regents for their vote in supporting a county partnership to open a “New MLK Hospital” in Willowbrook in late 2012.

 

A non-profit corporation that is independent of the County of Los Angeles will operate “New MLK Hospital,” a new, seismically safe 120-bed medical facility. The non-profit corporation, once formed, will have an appointed Board of Directors that will have full authority and accountability over the hospital.

 

UC would provide physician services through an agreement with the hospital corporation. L.A. County will provide ongoing financial support to New MLK Hospital. UC will have a direct and substantial role in establishing and maintaining high quality standards for patient care.

 

Though “New MLK Hospital” will be independent of the county, all services provided at the new hospital will be coordinated with services provided by L.A. County at the hospital’s MLK Multi-Service Ambulatory Care Center (MLK MACC) and the nearby Hubert H. Humphrey Comprehensive Care Center.

 

The Board of Supervisors will consider a “New MLK Hospital” motion to move the proposal for the L.A. County-University of California partnership forward now that the UC Regents have voted to approve the arrangement.

 

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Honorable Don Knabe

Chair of the Board

Supervisor, 4^th District

 

“The UC Regents have taken a very positive step to join with L.A. County to bring critical hospital services and emergency room care to South Los Angeles residents. This new facility is critical to our County Healthcare Network. We are pleased to work in partnership with UC to open New MLK Hospital,” Supervisor Don Knabe said.

 

 

Honorable Mark Ridley-Thomas

Supervisor, 2^nd District

 

“The UC Board of Regents is to be strongly praised for voting unanimously to engage in a partnership with L.A. County that will have a positive effect on health of residents throughout LA County. I commend the UC Regents for their foresight and commitment. L.A. County is investing $500 million to this “New MLK Hospital” effort. There is much work still to be done before we are able to open New MLK Hospital, but the critical work of forging an effective partnership for the provision of physician services and patient care oversight was secured with today’s UC Regents vote,” Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said.

 

 

Honorable Zev Yaroslavsky

Supervisor, 3^rd District

 

"UC will lend important credibility to the New MLK Hospital and provide for the delivery of quality patient care. We thank the UC Regents for their vote today. L.A. County, in partnership with UC, can now move forward to the next stage in the development of an independent non-profit hospital that our residents need and deserve," Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said.

 

--lacounty.gov--